Todd And God, Ctd

An interest aspect of the Draper article: He writes that Palin’s 2 ½ year old son had an operation on Friday before Election Day.

She and Todd made a campaign appearance in West Virginia on Saturday morning, then went to New York where they stayed until Wednesday. To get to West Virginia in time to campaign on Saturday morning, she must have flown late on Friday afternoon or Friday evening. So basically, Palin and her husband left her 2 ½ year old immediately following an operation (“routine”, but still), flew across the country and stayed away for nearly five days. What parents would do that following surgery for a child that young? My wife and I certainly wouldn’t have done this, and, frankly, I don’t think I know any parents who would have.

Maybe they took Trig with them, although there is no indication in the article that they had children with them. Even if this were the case, it is also odd behavior. A child that young who has had surgery should probably be watched carefully for a couple of days to make sure there are no complications, etc., and probably should stay in the hospital for a day or so.

I believe that, in general, how politicians deal with their children and other family members is their private business and does not have any bearing on their competency or qualifications for public office. However, Palin has deliberately used her children to build her image, thrusting them into the public sphere at every opportunity (including her TLC show) and constantly talking about how her experience as a “mom” qualifies her for office. Therefore, I think it only fair that questions about her performance as a mother should be raised in public.

Keep digging.

We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.